As she approached the open door, she was surprised to see it was a door that was always closed. In fact, in the four years she’d worked there, Liv hadn’t seen it open once. She had assumed it was a storage room but as she slowly pushed it open, she realized it was another long hallway.
A gust of cool air hit her damp skin, tempting her to venture further. Okay, this was strange. What was in here that needed a different cooling unit? And, why was this one working while the rest of the building felt like the Sahara Desert?
Instantly alert, she removed her earbuds so she could concentrate on her surroundings. This hallway was the same drab gray color scheme as the rest of the building and multiple doors lined one side. The only illumination in the hallway came from small windows in each door. The windows were set higher than made sense and as she approached the first door, Liv had to stand on tiptoe to peer through it.
Placing a sweaty palm on the door to brace herself she peeked into the room. It was empty but there was a mattress on the floor, and above the thick pad two chains were attached to the stone wall.
“What the hell?” Liv muttered under her breath.
The mattress and chains were disturbing enough, but it was the metal cuffs at the end of the chains that caused her heart to race and thump against her chest. What was going on in this room? Admittedly, it was pristine and unoccupied, but she couldn’t imagine a use for a mattress or chains in the lab. Although the room was empty, her spidey-senses screamed that something was off.
Curious, she moved to the next window and peered in. It, too, was empty. Crap, Liv thought as she checked each room. Every one of them was empty except for the lone mattresses and chains attached to the walls. What could be going on in this section of the building?
It was common knowledge they performed numerous tests and experiments at PRL, with some done on animals, but this looked like something else altogether. The animals stayed in cages in one large area, not individual rooms like this. What she was looking at resembled prison cells and, for the first time, she was frightened to be alone at work. Where was that new guard when she needed him?
Metal clanged, startling Liv, and she jumped. Her heart thumped hard against her chest as she realized it came from one of the last five doors along the hallway. Crouching low, she considered her options. Should she high-tail it out of there and ask Jim on Monday?
That sounded reasonable given sweat soaked her entire back, which wasn’t entirely because of the air conditioner malfunction. The scene reminded her of a horror movie, and she was the dimwitted woman blindly walking into the throes of hell.
Yeah, she should get the hell out of there. But…would she be able to think about anything else for the rest of the weekend? Would she be able to enjoy girl’s night or anything else, for that matter?
Nope. It would drive Liv nuts and she would think of nothing else but this mysterious hallway. She had to know what made that noise and what, if anything, was going on in this sector of the building. Cue the scary music, she thought, as she decided to go forward with her impulsive decision.
Taking several deep breaths to calm her shaky nerves, Liv slowly took several small steps and stood on her tiptoes to look through the small window. What she saw horrified her and she double-blinked to make sure it wasn’t a hallucination. She strained her eyes against the dim lighting in the room.
Nope, she wasn’t hallucinating…or maybe she was. No way could she be looking at a man, an abnormally large man at that, sleeping on the mattress. His hands were cuffed and chained to the wall. He was filthy, wearing nothing but a pair of black sweatpants covered in grime. The man was curled in a ball and shivering. His skin was tanned but he looked sickly in the fetal position.
Wanting to help, she reached for the handle and turned but it was locked. She was about to pound on the glass when she heard muffled sounds coming from the room beside it.
Quietly stepping to the next door, heart pounding a million beats per second, she inched her way along the wall until she could barely see through the window. Another man was on all fours, covering his head and face with his arms, while a security guard pummeled him with his baton. She noticed he was also chained to the wall, completely at their mercy.
Liv didn’t recognize the guard but noticed he was wearing the company’s black uniform. The guard was vicious in his attack. Was this the new guy Jim hired?
She was stuck in this terrible fight or flight moment as she watched the abuse, stunned beyond belief. Honor said she couldn’t walk away but she had no idea what she could do against the armed man. She was tiny in comparison.
Standing beside the guard was David Cook, another research scientist. Liv had worked closely with David on several projects and liked the guy. She couldn’t imagine he was okay with standing by and watching such brutality, but his wide-legged stance and crossed arms belied that. And then she overheard David order the man to be hit again. They were full on beating a defenseless man. What kind of experiment were they running?
One thing was certain. Liv would be damned if she walked away now.
Reaching for the handle, she half-wished it was locked but it turned and gave way. She thrust open the heavy metal door and entered with confidence and purpose. Maybe if she acted like she was supposed to be there, they’d treat her accordingly. Fake it till you make it like Cassie always said.
“Can somebody explain to me what’s going on?” Liv demanded, hands on hips.
The two men turned and the one on the floor looked her way. He was just as dirty as the other man in the room beside his. Wearing the same black sweatpants, he looked like he hadn’t bathed or shaved in months, possibly years. His jet-black hair was matted and fell down his back. A full beard covered most of his face and was long and stringy. He looked like a mountain man from the Great Smokies. His frame was large like his neighbor and that’s when it dawned on Liv. These two men were shifters.
“Olivia, what are you doing here?” David asked, obviously shocked to see her standing there. “This really doesn’t concern you,” he added.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing. Please explain why these men are chained and being mistreated. This is not what we do here,” she implored, voice shaky with emotion.
She hated that she wore her heart on her sleeve. Why couldn’t she be Miss Badass and come in guns blazing and threaten to report them?
“Darlin’, you best be getting’ on. I’d hate to take you over my knee and teach you what happens to little girls who don’t mind their own business,” the guard sneered then licked his lips. Liv’s stomach turned at the thought of the man getting within ten feet of her.
He was a big, burly man that looked like he would happily follow through with his threat. Guessing him to be in his late forties, he appeared to be in excellent physical shape. It was his crazy brown eyes that made her so nervous.
The man on the floor moved and the guard raised his baton and struck his back with two consecutive blows. The shifter fell flat on his chest and face, covering his head as best he could.
Liv took another step forward. “Is that necessary? He can’t even defend himself. David, please do something,” she begged.
“Olivia, it’s not what it looks like. He’s a shifter and can’t be trusted. They’re wild and unpredictable. The cuffs are for his protection as much as for ours. Just go. Now!” David demanded sternly but Liv heard the sincerity in his tone.
She knew very little about shifters and hadn’t spent any time with one but she’d heard stories. The news portrayed shifters exactly as David described. Wild, violent and unpredictable. Shifters were recognizable to humans by their large size. They were taller, more muscular, with bigger hands and feet. The man on the floor looked like he could win a Mr. Universe contest hands down. If he was bathed and shaved, of course.
Liv acknowledged it was a very segregated society between humans and shifters, and both preferred it that way. Shifters lived in their isolated communities and typically owned the businesses wit
hin. So long as they paid taxes and obeyed laws and regulations, everyone was happy.
There were rumors that shifters were extremely violent, savage even. The man on the floor was agitated, growling at the guard hovering over him and Liv wondered if she was about to witness their capabilities firsthand.
“I’ll leave if the two of you come with me. I can’t go if I think you will continue beating him,” Liv stated, crossing arms over her chest. Yeah, she could be stubborn and defiant, and felt this man could use a friend right now.
“Why you little bitch, I’ll show you the meaning of punishment,” the guard spat and started towards Liv.
With lightning speed, the shifter was on his feet and grabbed the guard in a headlock. Before Liv could react, he wrapped the metal chain around his neck and pulled, snapping the man’s neck. Liv could only imagine the strength it must take to do such a thing. Immediately, the guard slumped to the ground like a rag doll.
Liv’s piercing scream bounced off the concrete walls while at the same time David charged towards the shifter, tranquilizer gun in hand.
Chapter 2
Lawson couldn’t control his rage. His wolf was on the verge of taking over and he had to fight the urge to shift. Chained to the wall, his wolf’s movements would be limited. He had a better chance in his human form of a possible escape.
The piece of shit guard deserved what he got. He hadn’t seen this male until today but they were all the same. They waltzed in, demanded he shift, and when Lawson didn’t obey like a well-trained puppy, they resorted to beating the hell out of him.
Fuck ‘em all.
He knew what they were trying to do. Well…what they thought they were trying to accomplish and he wasn’t playing that game.
Fuck ‘em all.
The female screamed and Lawson saw the other male running towards him. Yeah, this motherfucker with the tranquilizer gun didn’t have a clue. This male had been in his room many times and always stood on the outskirts like a coward, watching Lawson take beating after beating with a smug expression on his face. He was about to feel Lawson’s wrath and he was going to enjoy watching the lab tech piss himself.
As soon as the male was in reaching distance, Lawson crouched and swept out his right leg. The male quickly hit the pavement and Lawson grabbed his feet, pulling him towards his body. Seconds later, his chains wrapped around his captor’s neck and he could feel life leaving the male’s body as he squeezed with all his might. When the male’s eyes rolled back, Lawson released the lifeless body.
Another scream from the female had him turning to face her. Horrified green eyes pierced deeper than the countless needles they stuck in him. He could smell her fear, not to mention, her sex. His sensitive nostrils hadn’t scented a female in a long time. It was overwhelming and his body instinctively responded.
Primal need coursed through his veins and a low growl escaped his throat as his wolf prowled the surface, demanding to be released.
“Get out!” he shouted, yanking on the chains. “I’m not shifting for you or anyone else. Come near me and you’ll be on the floor next to these two!” he barked, kicking the dead security guard in her direction.
She stepped towards him, arms outstretched in surrender. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t know about this area of the building. Let me help you,” she pleaded.
As she came closer, sweet perfume teased and tempted his body. His cock hardened, needing a release more than he needed air to breathe. He wasn’t even attracted to humans but right now he was ready to strip her bare, bend her over, and fuck the hell out of her.
Shaking beyond control, he swung out. Not to hit her but to scare her. If she stepped three more feet towards him, he would have the female in his clutches, and there was no telling what he would do to her.
“Fuck you, female. You wanna help? Unlock these,” he demanded, yanking on the metal cuffs again.
She hesitated, and Lawson wasn’t sure, but she seemed to be contemplating his words when suddenly she turned, fleeing the room. Part of him wanted to call her back and explain he wasn’t a cold-blooded murderer. Lawson didn’t like the horror he represented but he didn’t see another option. He couldn’t be in her presence under such arousal.
Lawson tugged on the chains again, trying to break free. Not that he hadn’t spent every waking moment trying to escape but the door was ajar, and this might be the only chance he’d ever get. He had to get out of this hellhole. If he had to endure one more beating or unwillingly give one more ounce of blood, he might snap.
Long ago, he stopped counting the days he’d been in captivity. By his estimation, he had been imprisoned for at least two years, maybe more. He hadn’t had a decent meal, a hot shower or a warm bed the entire time. He was fed once a day, hosed down with ice-cold water once a week and slept on the dirty mattress without as much as a sheet to keep warm.
Determined he wasn’t spending one more night in the shithole, Lawson braced his foot against the concrete wall for better leverage. Taking a deep breath, he pulled on the heavy chains. Nothing. He tried again. Not even a slight budge to the fastener attached to the wall. He placed both feet on the wall and pulled until his arm muscles felt like they would tear from the tension.
It suddenly occurred to him the guard probably had his entry card. There was a small keypad at the base of the cuffs that locked them electronically. Everything in this damn place was linked through the security system.
Wishing he hadn’t kicked the guard out of reach, he walked as far as the chains would allow. He stretched and reached for the male’s feet. Finally, his fingers touched the leather boots, and he latched onto the soles. Pulling as best he could, he finally inched the male enough to where he could grab his ankles.
Yanking him to his side, Lawson quickly searched the male’s uniform. He could finally escape if he could find the fucking card. Elation filled his heart. He desperately needed to go home. His mom, dad, brother, and sisters had to be worried sick. Did they think him dead? Were they safe? He knew others were being held captive because he heard the nearby beatings but he had no idea how many were there or if he knew them.
A curse left his lips when he found nothing in the guard’s front or back pockets. Fumbling with the jacket, it was difficult for Lawson’s large hands to search. Fuck, he was trembling with the urgency. Left side, empty. As he moved to the right pocket, a deep voice invaded his concentration.
“And what the fuck do you think you are doing?”
Lawson looked up to see Jim Jensen. The spineless, dickless, crass son-of-a-bitch in charge of this whole operation. Lawson had fantasized of strangling him with his bare hands. Five more males stepped inside his cell and Lawson’s bliss quickly deflated along with his hope of getting out of prison.
“Grab him, Kevin. Looks like our friend here has committed a crime,” Jim scoffed, rubbing his cleft chin in disapproval as he surveyed the bodies on the ground. Lawson would give a nut to punch him in that ass-shaped jaw just one fucking time.
Kevin stepped towards him and Lawson lunged, baring fangs. As the group of males slowly circled him, Lawson crouched to a fighting stance. Odds stacked against him, Lawson decided if he were going down, he would go down swinging.
Throwing a ten-dollar bill towards the cashier, Liv rushed into the nightclub, still reeling from what had happened. She was scared to death and had reached for her phone a dozen times, torn between calling her boss, or alerting the police to what she’d witnessed. Ultimately, she decided to talk to Cassie before doing anything because frankly, she was disturbed at the idea her prominent company could be involved in something so heinous.
Scanning the floor, she spotted Cassie and sprinted to the booth where she was sitting. Plopping down across from her friend, Liv grabbed the drink sitting in front of Cassie and downed it. The tequila was a blowtorch, burning a path down her throat.
“Hey, what the hell? I waited fifteen minutes to get that drink,” Cassie shouted above the loud thump of the m
usic. “And, you’re late. I’ve had to make sorry-ass excuses to three losers hitting on me. Where you been?”
“Girl, you have no idea. Where is that damn waitress anyway? I need a bottle after what I’ve just been through.” Liv explained, perusing the club for the familiar tank top sporting ‘SUCK ME’ across the chest of overly-enhanced breasts that typically worked at Popsicles, the local hot spot in Chattanooga.
“Well, spill it. It better be good though because that was the good shit you just downed. This is not date night, and I’m pretty sure you’re not putting out for me later,” Cassie exclaimed, smacking a piece of chewing gum.
“Quit your bitchin’ and listen to me. Seriously, you’re not going to believe what just happened at work,” Liv interjected, arms flailing with animation. “I just watched two men get strangled right the fuck in front of me. Dead. Do you hear me? Dead!” As she shouted the words, she could barely believe them herself.
Brown eyes bulged as if she admitted to being a heroin-addict smoking crack in a church. “Ummm, say again? I must’ve heard you wrong, Liv. Did you say…dead?”
“Yes! Dead. Two men. Dead! Like, as in, opposite of living,” Liv shouted, spotting an employee walking towards them. When Liv realized the tits in heels was bee-lining to the table of rowdy college boys, she sidestepped into her line of vision.
“I would like a bottle of tequila. Not a glass, but the whole damn bottle. And, I can’t afford the really good stuff so keep that in mind if you expect me to pay for it. Oh, and two glasses and some limes, please.” Liv spouted and plastered what she knew had to be a deranged smile on her face, trying to appear calm even though she was about to explode with anxiety.
“Sure, hun. I got you covered. Be back in a jiffy,” the blonde bombshell replied, typing on her tablet.
20 Shades of Shifters_A Paranormal Romance Collection Page 34